When the Andrew J. Barberi crashed into the St. George terminal on May 8, serious injury and possible deaths were averted by the quick and alert actions of the deckhands, who urgently cleared passengers away from the bow of the boat and off the stairwells and instructed them to brace for impact.

On the dock, another deckhand courageously lowered a gangway to absorb some of the impact as the ferry barreled towards the pier.

This is the second serious docking problem in the past 10 months. Another less severe incident occurred in July 2009, when the ferryboat John J. Marchi lost power and hit the same slip at St. George.

Given the alarming rate of failed dockings, I find it unfathomable that the city Department of Transportation is moving forward with a short-sighted plan to eliminate two crew members on what is the world’s largest-capacity passenger vessel, often carrying more than 4,000 passengers on peak runs.

Only a fraction of this peak number of passengers were on the Barberi when it crashed on May 8, a manageable number for the 17-person crew that includes seven deckhands. Had the crash occurred during a peak time when more passengers would have been at the bow, it would have been far worse.

In addition to protecting passengers in emergencies, deckhands perform other vital routine functions for passengers that make the 25-minute journey safe and pleasant for commuters and, increasingly, for tourists. They are trained in CPR, the use of defibrillators, Coast Guard-certified safety procedures. They intervene in passenger altercations and maintain the cleanliness of the vessel.

The DOT’s cutbacks will mean fewer crew members patrolling the boat. No longer will a crew member be available to monitor the restrooms which will quickly become locations for illegal drug use and sexual activity.

Fewer will be available in emergencies. Fewer will be patrolling to spot and intervene against a potential terrorist attack on the ferry — considered a prime target by law enforcement because of the density of passengers. The recent attempted car-bombing in Times Square reminds us how serious this threat is.

The cutbacks are being justified as a cost-cutting measure. But any savings are likely to be eaten up by payouts and legal fees that result from injured or killed passengers and decreased tourism revenue as a dirtier and more dangerous ferry ride loses its luster as a tourist destination.

The DOT’s shortsightedness is setting the stage for a far worse outcome than what we experienced on May 8.